Cardinal O'Brien has just spent two weeks in Sudan

In a speech at St Andrews University, Cardinal Keith O'Brien said: "The whole world listens, the whole world watches - and nothing is done".

He urged people to talk about the crisis in Sudan in a bid to create higher awareness of the situation.

The lecture was at the tCentre for the Study of Religion and Politics.

Cardinal O'Brien, the Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, has just returned from two weeks in the Sudan.

Some had had their ears cut off right close to their skulls; others had had their lips cut off; others had had padlocks put through a hole made in their top lip and this was joined up to a hole in their bottom lip Cardinal Keith O'Brien

In his speech he painted a picture of the problems faced by people in Sudan.

He said: "They had indeed been brutally treated, many women had suffered multiple rape and men had been subjected to various atrocities also.

"Some had had their ears cut off right close to their skulls; others had had their lips cut off; others had had padlocks put through a hole made in their top lip and this was joined up to a hole in their bottom lip."

Cardinal O'Brien asked those gathered: "What more can we do at this present time?

"Basically I would simply say talk about the situation such as you have heard from me; talk about the situation to your own members of parliament including members of the Scottish Parliament and draw the attention of those whom you meet to a frightening situation in a troubled country."